Was wondering if they'd spoil the surprise in the trailers. Not even trying to hide it apparently. Suppose they need to highlight the alien aspect to differentiate it from The Martian (for those...
Was wondering if they'd spoil the surprise in the trailers. Not even trying to hide it apparently. Suppose they need to highlight the alien aspect to differentiate it from The Martian (for those who haven't read the book).
The movie looks great but I agree, that spoiler should not have been in the trailer. Since it is, now I have to comment on it: Rocky's ship looks amazing but what they showed of Rocky himself (and...
The movie looks great but I agree, that spoiler should not have been in the trailer. Since it is, now I have to comment on it: Rocky's ship looks amazing but what they showed of Rocky himself (and his interactions with Grace) looks really super cheesy to me. Like '80s Muppet alien cheesy. And pretty tonally different from the preceding parts of the trailer which were dire but peppered with light (not cheesy) humor.
I'd say the book is largely a "buddy" story about Grace and Rocky's friendship and teamwork. If the movie holds true to that, I guess it was pretty important to at least show a bit of it in the trailer, so audiences don't feel betrayed. From that angle I'm not sure that the trailer shows enough.
I'm pretty excited about this now! I was skeptical when I saw Ryan Gosling had been cast but now I buy it. I just hope they don't mess up the Rocky parts. And I'm really curious if they're going to keep the book's ending.
Edit: I just watched the trailer again. Maybe I was too hard on it, seems less cheesy on the second watch. That was just my initial reaction. I think this looks amaze.
I commented below on another post about the practical Rocky; I'm fully on board with a puppet over CGI. Even a "bad" puppet is more life-like than CGI to me.
I commented below on another post about the practical Rocky; I'm fully on board with a puppet over CGI. Even a "bad" puppet is more life-like than CGI to me.
Yeah my thought was "oh no they are going Full Disney with Rocky" :( We'll see though, it wasn't much to go on and there is a lot of room to go either way.
Yeah my thought was "oh no they are going Full Disney with Rocky" :(
We'll see though, it wasn't much to go on and there is a lot of room to go either way.
Blip A looks veeery different than the book describes. In the trailer, lots of pointy spires. In the book, very flat and angular (I picture a sleeker version of the Plutonian's ship from Aqua Teen...
Blip A looks veeery different than the book describes. In the trailer, lots of pointy spires. In the book, very flat and angular (I picture a sleeker version of the Plutonian's ship from Aqua Teen Hunger Force).
But I'm OK with that change, need to make it visually striking, different than human engineering, and showcasing the species' prowess with exotic materials.
I'm pretty sad; I feel like they could have just ended with the alien ship and that would have been amazing intrigue. Showing Rocky (no matter how brief) and then even going out of their way to...
I'm pretty sad; I feel like they could have just ended with the alien ship and that would have been amazing intrigue. Showing Rocky (no matter how brief) and then even going out of their way to say "oh he's friendly btw" is such a shame and will make the viewing experience a lot less fun for people who are new to the story. They did everything but show him completely in the trailer and that sucks.
Edit: I spoke too soon, didn't see the ending where they literally just show rocky... like come on guys do you have 0 faith in the movie being able to sell?
For what it's worth.... I generally agree with you, and probably should in this case, but until the ending of the preview I thought this was a space exploration/survival horror. I'm not familiar...
For what it's worth.... I generally agree with you, and probably should in this case, but until the ending of the preview I thought this was a space exploration/survival horror. I'm not familiar with the source material, of course. I'm more likely to watch it due to the inclusion of the spoilers.
I kinda feel like trailers have two audience with fairly opposing goals. One group is highly informed (familiar with source material, following production, steeped in anticipation); they want a trailer to give them a very high level vibe check, then they want to go back to steeping. For them a successful trailer leaves even more anticipation. Reveal too much and you drain it away.
The other group knows little to nothing, and are maybe more tuned into the actors and the setting than anything. They need to be convinced and informed, so you need to show them things. And you might decide at some point that the reveal isn't a spoiler; it's part of the film's opening premise. Then you can add it to trailers and posters and etc etc.
Of course, with projects of this scope, it's necessarily about revenue. As long as it passes the vibe check (I'm sorry for overusing that), the first group is going to see the movie; I don't imagine that spoilers will not stop them. The second group is the one that can be won or lost, so they're the only group for whom trailers are optimized.
It would be interesting if they could mark trailers accordingly, but I guess once the spoiler is in mainstream hands it's impossible to miss.
I wish trailers were just the first 5 to 10 minutes of a movie. It's been done once or twice in my life and there's no better way to figure out if I want to give a movie my time.
I kinda feel like trailers have two audience with fairly opposing goals. One group is highly informed (familiar with source material, following production, steeped in anticipation); they want a trailer to give them a very high level vibe check, then they want to go back to steeping. For them a successful trailer leaves even more anticipation. Reveal too much and you drain it away.
I wish trailers were just the first 5 to 10 minutes of a movie. It's been done once or twice in my life and there's no better way to figure out if I want to give a movie my time.
I agree with you on the visuals. The ship looks fantastic, cooler than I was personally able to picture when reading, and the small amount of Rocky shown looks a bit goofy in comparison. I'm also...
I agree with you on the visuals. The ship looks fantastic, cooler than I was personally able to picture when reading, and the small amount of Rocky shown looks a bit goofy in comparison.
I'm also partial to your second take on his appearance in the trailer. The mission and stakes are just motivators for their buddy story. I can understand why they would want to spoil his appearance in the trailer. Not just for existing fans, but to convey the tone switch the movie should end up with as Grace builds a friendship in the void and differentiate it from a more "generic" high-stakes, action movie.
Hoping the movie turns out to be as fun as the book.
I had similar thoughts about the little of Rocky I saw in this trailer - it looks like an animatronic more akin to ET than a movie with 2025 technology. But, it was just a trailer and maybe it...
I had similar thoughts about the little of Rocky I saw in this trailer - it looks like an animatronic more akin to ET than a movie with 2025 technology. But, it was just a trailer and maybe it will look better in the actual movie.
I'm also very curious about the ending and how they handle it. I think it's a very important part of the story, so I'll be very disappointed if they skip it.
I believe they're using an actual puppet for Rocky, and I'm very excited about that. Considering how Rocky is described as looking like mostly inorganic material I feel like the best way to...
I believe they're using an actual puppet for Rocky, and I'm very excited about that. Considering how Rocky is described as looking like mostly inorganic material I feel like the best way to portray him is with inorganic material.
And I'm fine with that as long as it's believable and not obviously a puppet. I know he's an alien and so we shouldn't apply earth-like expectations to him, but if the locomotion is off, it will...
And I'm fine with that as long as it's believable and not obviously a puppet. I know he's an alien and so we shouldn't apply earth-like expectations to him, but if the locomotion is off, it will kill immersion.
Oh man I thought about the ending for awhile after reading the book. I'm 100% with you though in that I hope they keep it the same even if it's not what you'd expect from a typical save-the-earth...
Oh man I thought about the ending for awhile after reading the book. I'm 100% with you though in that I hope they keep it the same even if it's not what you'd expect from a typical save-the-earth Hollywood movie. We'll see what they end up doing.
They spoiled a lot of stuff in the trailers. I think the trailer would have been better if they ended it at 2:15 (after "Oh my God", before they show what he's looking at). But if they really...
They spoiled a lot of stuff in the trailers. I think the trailer would have been better if they ended it at 2:15 (after "Oh my God", before they show what he's looking at). But if they really wanted to include the "alien surprise", they could have ended at 2:19 with the external shot of the space ships. Everything after that just seems extra spoilery for very little gain.
I'm really upset they spoiled so much in the trailer. The mystery is what made the book such a compelling read. Book spoiler One of my favorite parts of the book was the reader discovering who...
I'm really upset they spoiled so much in the trailer. The mystery is what made the book such a compelling read.
Book spoiler
One of my favorite parts of the book was the reader discovering who Ryland is as he was figuring it out.
Yeah, at first I linked the trailer to my wife but then I told her not to watch it if she cares about being spoiled. Figuring out all the details and background was a huge part of the book. Book...
Yeah, at first I linked the trailer to my wife but then I told her not to watch it if she cares about being spoiled. Figuring out all the details and background was a huge part of the book.
Book spoiler
As you wrote, the whole "who is this guy even" is gone, and also "why is he even in space and what is he doing there", which is kind of crucial once you know why he is there. And then there's also not only "oh he meets Aliens", but they also show him befriending it. Which is a shame, because that's a lot of the stuff that kept me engaged with the book.
Does the trailer make it seem like he was the first and only choice? It seemed to me like the trailer was saying he was the only one on earth that could do the mission. I wonder if it was poor...
Does the trailer make it seem like he was the first and only choice? It seemed to me like the trailer was saying he was the only one on earth that could do the mission. I wonder if it was poor trailer editing, or they actually changed the plot. In the book, he was far from the only scientist they wanted on the mission. If I remember right, they had both a primary and an alternate scientist for the mission. He was the second alternate (and not told so). He only went because the first two candidates died, and he happened to have compatible genes. The trailer makes it seem like he went because he was smarter than everyone else on earth.
book spoilers Considering in the trailer they show the research building/base/whatever it was exploding ~1:08, which, IIRC, is what killed the original candidates, I would say that aspect of the...
book spoilers
Considering in the trailer they show the research building/base/whatever it was exploding ~1:08, which, IIRC, is what killed the original candidates, I would say that aspect of the story should be mostly unchanged.
Nothing stood out to me in the trailer as significantly different from the book, though it has been a while since I read. & maybe consider hiding some of your text behind a spoiler for those who haven't read the book, even if it is indirectly revealed in the trailer itself.
After the other candidates died, he was the smartest person on the earth for the job. His genetics sealed the deal.
the first two candidates died, and he happened to have compatible genes. The trailer makes it seem like he went because he was smarter than everyone else on earth.
After the other candidates died, he was the smartest person on the earth for the job. His genetics sealed the deal.
The back of the book hints at the fact that he's not alone, but it's not explicit at all. I wish they'd kept this level of intrigue by just hinting at it - maybe just a quick glimpse of the ship...
The back of the book hints at the fact that he's not alone, but it's not explicit at all. I wish they'd kept this level of intrigue by just hinting at it - maybe just a quick glimpse of the ship or something. I'm surprised they even showed Rocky because that doesn't seem necessary, even if they wanted to make it clear it was an alien movie. Perhaps it's to show it's a family-friendly movie and not a horror/thriller?
Going to dredge up a year old comment to update it with: this is still coming out on my birthday, therefore my hype levels are still set to MAX 😎 "I put the NOT in astronaut" is also possibly...
Going to dredge up a year old comment to update it with: this is still coming out on my birthday, therefore my hype levels are still set to MAX 😎
"I put the NOT in astronaut" is also possibly something I am going to custom print on a sticker and slap on every one of my water bottles.
Tildes had a book club last year on this book. I'm most excited for the Lord and Miller collab and look forward to any discussion on book to film adaptation from our community
Was wondering if they'd spoil the surprise in the trailers. Not even trying to hide it apparently. Suppose they need to highlight the alien aspect to differentiate it from The Martian (for those who haven't read the book).
The movie looks great but I agree, that spoiler should not have been in the trailer. Since it is, now I have to comment on it: Rocky's ship looks amazing but what they showed of Rocky himself (and his interactions with Grace) looks really super cheesy to me. Like '80s Muppet alien cheesy. And pretty tonally different from the preceding parts of the trailer which were dire but peppered with light (not cheesy) humor.
I'd say the book is largely a "buddy" story about Grace and Rocky's friendship and teamwork. If the movie holds true to that, I guess it was pretty important to at least show a bit of it in the trailer, so audiences don't feel betrayed. From that angle I'm not sure that the trailer shows enough.
I'm pretty excited about this now! I was skeptical when I saw Ryan Gosling had been cast but now I buy it. I just hope they don't mess up the Rocky parts. And I'm really curious if they're going to keep the book's ending.
Edit: I just watched the trailer again. Maybe I was too hard on it, seems less cheesy on the second watch. That was just my initial reaction. I think this looks amaze.
I commented below on another post about the practical Rocky; I'm fully on board with a puppet over CGI. Even a "bad" puppet is more life-like than CGI to me.
It depends. Some CGI (like OG Jurassic Park), is amazing and the right choice for fast-paced, frantic scenes.
They used a ton of puppets and animatronics in Jurassic Park.
And also a lot of CGI.
Absolutely; this movie will also use a lot of CGI, even on the puppet.
Yeah my thought was "oh no they are going Full Disney with Rocky" :(
We'll see though, it wasn't much to go on and there is a lot of room to go either way.
Blip A looks veeery different than the book describes. In the trailer, lots of pointy spires. In the book, very flat and angular (I picture a sleeker version of the Plutonian's ship from Aqua Teen Hunger Force).
But I'm OK with that change, need to make it visually striking, different than human engineering, and showcasing the species' prowess with exotic materials.
I'm pretty sad; I feel like they could have just ended with the alien ship and that would have been amazing intrigue. Showing Rocky (no matter how brief) and then even going out of their way to say "oh he's friendly btw" is such a shame and will make the viewing experience a lot less fun for people who are new to the story. They did everything but show him completely in the trailer and that sucks.
Edit: I spoke too soon, didn't see the ending where they literally just show rocky... like come on guys do you have 0 faith in the movie being able to sell?
Someone else pointed out that it might have thrown viewers off, expecting it to be some kind of alien horror movie.
More of a reason not to show it at all then
For what it's worth.... I generally agree with you, and probably should in this case, but until the ending of the preview I thought this was a space exploration/survival horror. I'm not familiar with the source material, of course. I'm more likely to watch it due to the inclusion of the spoilers.
I kinda feel like trailers have two audience with fairly opposing goals. One group is highly informed (familiar with source material, following production, steeped in anticipation); they want a trailer to give them a very high level vibe check, then they want to go back to steeping. For them a successful trailer leaves even more anticipation. Reveal too much and you drain it away.
The other group knows little to nothing, and are maybe more tuned into the actors and the setting than anything. They need to be convinced and informed, so you need to show them things. And you might decide at some point that the reveal isn't a spoiler; it's part of the film's opening premise. Then you can add it to trailers and posters and etc etc.
Of course, with projects of this scope, it's necessarily about revenue. As long as it passes the vibe check (I'm sorry for overusing that), the first group is going to see the movie; I don't imagine that spoilers will not stop them. The second group is the one that can be won or lost, so they're the only group for whom trailers are optimized.
It would be interesting if they could mark trailers accordingly, but I guess once the spoiler is in mainstream hands it's impossible to miss.
I wish trailers were just the first 5 to 10 minutes of a movie. It's been done once or twice in my life and there's no better way to figure out if I want to give a movie my time.
I agree with you on the visuals. The ship looks fantastic, cooler than I was personally able to picture when reading, and the small amount of Rocky shown looks a bit goofy in comparison.
I'm also partial to your second take on his appearance in the trailer. The mission and stakes are just motivators for their buddy story. I can understand why they would want to spoil his appearance in the trailer. Not just for existing fans, but to convey the tone switch the movie should end up with as Grace builds a friendship in the void and differentiate it from a more "generic" high-stakes, action movie.
Hoping the movie turns out to be as fun as the book.
I had similar thoughts about the little of Rocky I saw in this trailer - it looks like an animatronic more akin to ET than a movie with 2025 technology. But, it was just a trailer and maybe it will look better in the actual movie.
I'm also very curious about the ending and how they handle it. I think it's a very important part of the story, so I'll be very disappointed if they skip it.
I believe they're using an actual puppet for Rocky, and I'm very excited about that. Considering how Rocky is described as looking like mostly inorganic material I feel like the best way to portray him is with inorganic material.
Yeah I'm definitely on board with a physical puppet over CGI. It may look odd in the trailer, but I'm willing to bet it pays off.
And I'm fine with that as long as it's believable and not obviously a puppet. I know he's an alien and so we shouldn't apply earth-like expectations to him, but if the locomotion is off, it will kill immersion.
Oh man I thought about the ending for awhile after reading the book. I'm 100% with you though in that I hope they keep it the same even if it's not what you'd expect from a typical save-the-earth Hollywood movie. We'll see what they end up doing.
They spoiled a lot of stuff in the trailers. I think the trailer would have been better if they ended it at 2:15 (after "Oh my God", before they show what he's looking at). But if they really wanted to include the "alien surprise", they could have ended at 2:19 with the external shot of the space ships. Everything after that just seems extra spoilery for very little gain.
I'm really upset they spoiled so much in the trailer. The mystery is what made the book such a compelling read.
Book spoiler
One of my favorite parts of the book was the reader discovering who Ryland is as he was figuring it out.
Yeah, at first I linked the trailer to my wife but then I told her not to watch it if she cares about being spoiled. Figuring out all the details and background was a huge part of the book.
Book spoiler
As you wrote, the whole "who is this guy even" is gone, and also "why is he even in space and what is he doing there", which is kind of crucial once you know why he is there. And then there's also not only "oh he meets Aliens", but they also show him befriending it. Which is a shame, because that's a lot of the stuff that kept me engaged with the book.
Does the trailer make it seem like he was the first and only choice? It seemed to me like the trailer was saying he was the only one on earth that could do the mission. I wonder if it was poor trailer editing, or they actually changed the plot. In the book, he was far from the only scientist they wanted on the mission. If I remember right, they had both a primary and an alternate scientist for the mission. He was the second alternate (and not told so). He only went because the first two candidates died, and he happened to have compatible genes. The trailer makes it seem like he went because he was smarter than everyone else on earth.
book spoilers
Considering in the trailer they show the research building/base/whatever it was exploding ~1:08, which, IIRC, is what killed the original candidates, I would say that aspect of the story should be mostly unchanged.Nothing stood out to me in the trailer as significantly different from the book, though it has been a while since I read. & maybe consider hiding some of your text behind a spoiler for those who haven't read the book, even if it is indirectly revealed in the trailer itself.
After the other candidates died, he was the smartest person on the earth for the job. His genetics sealed the deal.
The back of the book hints at the fact that he's not alone, but it's not explicit at all. I wish they'd kept this level of intrigue by just hinting at it - maybe just a quick glimpse of the ship or something. I'm surprised they even showed Rocky because that doesn't seem necessary, even if they wanted to make it clear it was an alien movie. Perhaps it's to show it's a family-friendly movie and not a horror/thriller?
Can wait to see Emma Stone as Rocky in all of those romantic scenes with Ryan Gosling 🙏 https://i.imgur.com/HxGYvFK.png
I feel like Weir is trolling us here. Masterfully.
He 100% was, I should have mentioned this was an old April's Fool's joke he did.
https://i.imgur.com/pzGNhqq.png
Going to dredge up a year old comment to update it with: this is still coming out on my birthday, therefore my hype levels are still set to MAX 😎
"I put the NOT in astronaut" is also possibly something I am going to custom print on a sticker and slap on every one of my water bottles.
Happy future birthday!
Tildes had a book club last year on this book.
I'm most excited for the Lord and Miller collab and look forward to any discussion on book to film adaptation from our community